Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes



March 19, 1935. J. E. JACKSON APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEAMLESS PIPES AND TUBES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1933 IHW 1 m m w l n m 4 a 4% W LLJ [Mei afar: JOHN E. \JXQCKS'O/V,

March 19, 1935. J JACKSON 1,994,713

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEAMLESS PIPES AND TUBES Filed Oct. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenlor: Jew/v- 25. JqcKeo/v,

Patented Mar. 19, 1935 mreo STATES APPARATUS FOR. MANUFACTURING SEAML LESS PIPES AND TUBES John E. lackson, Swissvale, Pa, assignor to National Tube Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 9,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes from solid rounds, or billets, and to all of the operations used therein, such as the conventional 5 steps of piercing, expanding, elongating,

reducing, or any combination of these.

In the manufacture of tubes of the seamless type a number of late developments have made feasible the use of guide rolls to assist processing operations usually done by work rolls alone. These rolls have peripheral velocities in the same direction of and much greater than the velocity of the work-piece progressing through the work rolls. The peripheral contact of the guide rolls with the work-piece, regardless of the dimensions of the former, is necessarily in the form of an are as it assists the work-piece through the outlet end of theroll pass.

While it is intended that the guide roll contact simulate the outer surface of the Work-piece, it can never be that the surface of the guide rolls present a working surface that the metal of the work-piece would naturally follow. Likewise, the surface of the guide rolls can never be in more than one position at any given time. In other words, the guide rolls cannot contact with the exterior of the work-piece during necking down, which occurs in the converging portion of the work roll pass, While diverting the natural peripheral flow of the metal in a longitudinal direction at the outlet, or diverging portion of the pass, and at the same time maintain a continuous contact with the work-piece throughout the intermediate areas in which the work rolls are acting on the metal. If this condition could be established, a much greater displacement of metal could be made to occur in any type of work roll pass.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for processing metal workpieces while guiding and assisting the same into and out of the work roll pass by an extraneous force applied in the nature of a plane and in the direction of the longitudinal travel of the workpiece. Another object is to provide a novel apparatus for controlling the-necessary ovality in seamless tube processing operations in such manner that it may be reduced tothe necessary minimum due to a novel disposition and increase in area of the extraneous forces.

, Still another object is the provision of novel means for guiding and assisting a work-piece through the entire processing operation of a seamless tube mill, resulting in an increased rate of delivery and a greatly improved product.

These and further objects will appear after referring to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation through a piercing mill having my improved guides applied thereto. J I

1933, Serial No. 692,891

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view similar to Figure 1. e

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing the guide mounting.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan on the line V-V of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a pair of conventional metal working rolls, such as are commonly used in the manufacture of seamless pipes and tubes.

A pair of frames 3 are disposed intermediate the metal working rolls 3 and each provided with a journaled shaft 4 at each of their ends. A tractor gear 5 is secured to each of the shafts .4, and the frames 3 are further provided with a plurality of intermediate rollers 6.

The novel extraneous assisting means of the invention is generally indicated at 7 and comprises a plurality of connected endless tractor-belt elements 7 which are composed of any suitable heat-and-wear resisting alloy, such as are commonly used for hot-metal working or forging operations. A tractor-belt 7 is mountedon the tractor gears 5 and intermediate rolls 6 of each of the frames 3 and adapted to be moved by a power driven shaft 4* which is connected to one of each pair of associated shafts 4 by means of a Wobbler connection 4.

A piercing plug 8 is mounted on a mandrel car 9 and disposed intermediate the metal working rolls 2 and the tractor-belts 7.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, a housing 10 is suitably machined to provide vertical ways 12. A block 14 is journaled on the ends of each of the shafts 4 and adapted for vertical sliding movement in the ways 12.

The frames 3 have secured to each of their ends a pair of extensions 15, which are'provided with hearing portions 15.

The housing 10 is adapted to rotatably support a plurality of universal shafts 16, one being vertically disposed relative to each of the extensions 15 of the frames 3. A shaft 17 is connected to each of the universal shafts 16 and provided with upper and lower threaded portions 1'7 and 17 respectively.

A stud 18 is journaled in each of the bearing portions 15 of the extensions 15 and. is suitably threaded as at 18 for association with one of the threaded portions of the shaftsl'l.

The shafts 1'7 are further provided with annular flanges 1'7 in order to facilitate their being disposed in bearings 19, which are supported by brackets 20' on the housing 10 in such man ner as to insure the shafts against vertical displacement.

A work gear 21 is secured .to the upper end of each of the universal shafts 16 and adapted to be rotated by an associated .worm 22. It is to be understand that the worms 20 may be rotated individually or in-unison in such manner as to cooperate with any type of metal working roll.

\ toward vertical distortion, or ovality. A number \of defects will accrue to the work-piece after this istortion, permitting it to become efiective.

erefore, as each successive increment of inetal of the work-piece is fed from the metal working rolls it should be diverted from tangential into longitudinal movement.

The contact of the tractor-belts 7 is continuous throughout the entire processing operation, and provides assisting forces acting at a speed at least as great as that of the axial travel of the work-piece.

'The line 2 in Figure 3 indicates the position of the gorge, or most constricted portions of the metal working rolls-2, where the actual piercing" is initiated, and serves to illustrate the elongated area of the tractor-belts 7.

It is to be understood that my invention istnot limited to piercing operations, and while I have shown and described one specific embodiment of certain details of construction I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from tbe'scope of my invention, as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a pluralityof metal working rolls, and at least one power actuated endless-belt disposed intermediate said metal working rolls and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing therebetween throughout at least the major portion of the pass formed thereby, said power ac-.

tuated endless belt having a surface speed rectilinearly of and at'least equal to the rate of movement of the work-piece toward the outlet end of the pass.

2. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality of metal working rolls, and a pair of power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said metal working rolls, said endless belts being composed of a plurality of heat-and-wear resistant elements and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls thi-oughout at least the major portion of the pass formed thereby.

3. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising in combination, a plurality of metal working rolls, and a pair of power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said metal working rolls, said endless belts being composed of a plurality of heat-and-wear resistant elements and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls throughout at least the length of the pass formed thereby.

4. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality metal working rolls, said endless belts being con-,

elements and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls throughout at least the length of the pass formed thereby, each of said heat-and-wear resistant elements being profiled to conform substantially to the cross-section of said work-piece.

5. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality of metal working rolls, and a pair of power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said metal working rolls and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing therebetween prior to its introduction thereto and throughout the pass to the extreme outlet end thereof.

6. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality of metal working rolls, and a pair of power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said structed and arranged to make contact 'with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls throughout at least the major portion of the pass formed thereby.

7. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality of metal working rolls, a pair of-power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said metal working rolls, said endless belts being constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls throughout at least the major portion of the pass formed thereby, and means for adjusting the effective work-engaging portions of said endless belts vertically and/or angularly with respect to the axis of said work-piece.

' 8. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipe and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality bf metal working rolls, and a pair of power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said metal working rolls, said endless belts being composed of a plurality of heat-and-wear resistant elements and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls throughout at least the major portion of the pass formed thereby,'each of said heat-and-wear resistant elements being profiled to conform substantially to the crosssection of said work-piece.

9. Apparatus for manufacturing seamless pipes and tubes comprising, in combination, a plurality of metalworking rolls, a pair of power actuated endless belts disposed intermediate said metal working rolls, said endless belts being composed of a plurality of heat-and-wear resistant elements and constructed and arranged to make contact with a work-piece progressing between said metal working rolls throughout at least the major por-' tion of the pass formed thereby to divert successive increments thereof into a longitudinal direction, each of said heat-and-wear resistant elements being profiled to conform substantially to the cross-section of said work-piece, and means for adjusting the effective work-engaging portions of said endless belts vertically and/or angu-i 7 larly with respect to the axis of the work-piece.

JOHN E. JACKSON. 

